Blogging is a Ministry. It has turned out to be a form of creative expression that I greatly enjoy. This little speck of the WWW is my home for the topics that the Lord has put on my heart. Most mornings from my small farm-house kitchen I hit “publish” and send out bits of my heart around the world. It’s fascinating to see how the Lord is using the internet in these times. There are many dangerous and sinful areas of the internet. But I believe that Christian bloggers are shining God’s light in the dark places.
Thankfully, we have blogs such as the beforeitsnews blog to refer to when starting our own content journey. They get over 1m visitors a month (uniques) and have truly revolutionised the art of blogging.
I’m writing a series about blogging being a ministry, although it may take me sometime to get it all out. I’ll be sharing more of my story of how the Lord led me to blogging. Even though I feel totally smack dab in the middle of God’s will, I am an accidental blogger. It’s neat to look back over this past year and see how Jesus has led me to write for Him. I love putting little puzzle pieces together.
I’ve received several blogging questions lately. Questions from those looking for pointers on how to get started blogging. Also, questions on how to get blogs growing once they’re started. My blog is by no means big or a shining example of how blogs should be run. None-the-less, here’s a few of my thoughts about blogging thus far:
- Is your husband on board? I think this is a big one. Blogging does take time. Blogging, just like any ministry, should not come before your time with the Lord, husband or children. Not that it hasn’t been a process that I’ve had to balance out, and still fail miserably at times. My husband is 100% supportive of my blogging. He reads every single post. I may wake up in the morning to be greeted by several text messages telling me that I have a typo {that’s his way of saying “good morning honey” ;)}. I bounce ideas off of him. I trust his judgement and leadership.
- Write from a healed and whole heart. That’s advice from Amy Lynn Andrews and several others from the Relevant Conference. You don’t want to write about areas that you’re not completely healed in. Don’t use your blog to vent in anger or brokenness. Every post should minister life to the reader in some way. Most importantly every post should point readers back to Jesus.
- How much time do you have to blog? Blogging does take time. Most of us are busy wives, mothers and homeschoolers. You do have to count the cost and pray about if blogging is something that the Lord would have you invest your time in. It may mean you have to prune other areas. It may sound silly, but I gave away my chickens last spring because I wanted to have more writing time in the mornings before the kids got up.
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The Reality of it for me: Blogging/writing takes me 3-4 hours most days. This includes writing posts, researching, networking, special projects {which includes writing for other websites, magazines and eBooks}, answering emails, etc. It very much can become a part-time job. However, because this is God’s will for me, He has given me grace to be able to blog around my family life. The bulk of this time for me is completed either early or late each day. That is in the morning before the kids get up, or in the evenings after they’ve gone to bed. I try to leave our days “blog free,” and focus on being homeschool momma from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. I do pop online for about 30-minutes after lunch to answer questions and give a virtual high-five to anyone listening. Also, I schedule tweets & Facebook using a free software called HootSuite. I use an editorial calendar for WordPress, and try to stay several days ahead in my posts. I keep a separate blogging notebook full of ideas and plans too.
- Lift up your post to the Lord. Pray about your blog. Really, God won’t mind. If this is the medium He is giving you to touch lives then He won’t mind if you talk to him about it. I pray about my blog. When we pray as a family we always pray “Lord, we lift Holy Spirit-led Homeschooling to You. We pray that you use it to draw hearts to you and offer encouragement to families. Use this ministry to touch lives with your love.”
- Someone needs what you have to say. There are times when I write something and I’m really not sure if it’s needed. Then someone will write and tell me how the Lord used a post or outside article to encourage them in their situation. Often people find my blog by Googling “Jesus help me” or “help, my husband lost his job.” It’s great to see how the Lord is using those posts to offer hope to people looking for His truth.
10 Blogging resources that you’ll want to check out:
- 10 Ways to Use Facebook as a Ministry Tool @TimeWarpWife
- Blogging in Between Homeschooling @RaisingArrows {This is another Amy whom I love. Her site is full of insight and warmth. If you’re new to blogging, or are a mother looking for encouragement, go visit her. You’ll be glad that you did!}
- How to Start a Blog @BloggingWithAmy
- How to Create a Facebook Vanity URL @BloggingWithAmy {Blogging with Amy is a HUGE resource. I had the pleasure of meeting Amy at Relevant 2011. Let me tell you, she may be all technical and down-to-business on her blog; but girlfriend is in love with the Lord. All she shared about was Jesus, what a mess she is at times {which I really appreciate}, and how she needs more of Him. I was in one session with her and Ann Voskamp. Between both ladies I went through several tissues.}
- How to Create a Blog Button @SavvyBlogging
- How to Put a New Blog on the Map @SavvyBlogging
- How to Make Money Blogging @SmockityFrocks
- Blogging Resource Directory @SunflowerSchoolhouse
- Google+ for Homeschool Bloggers @BrainInTrainin {I’m still not up-to-speed with Google+, so please unleash some wisdom for me on this if you’d like.}
- Upside Down Blogger @AHolyExperience
